Market Basket
Opened: 2014
I mentioned last week that Shaw's, despite having a large presence in a lot of eastern Massachusetts, has only a limited store base in Middlesex County. Part of that has to do with what else is in Middlesex County: Market Basket's headquarters.
The powerhouse chain of just under 100 high-volume stores (and counting) came to Littleton, just 13 miles from their headquarters of Tewksbury, in 2014 with a new-build store of around 65,000 square feet. It's a very straightforward Market Basket -- as we have discussed, most Market Baskets are essentially the same -- but just for fun, we're going to tour this store in the reverse order from how I usually set up the Market Basket posts. We're going to start on the right side, which is the last aisles. The Market's Cafe is in the front-right corner, with prepared foods and bakery in this area. Produce and frozen are on the right side, with meat, seafood, and deli/cheese on the back wall. Dairy is in the first aisle on the left side of the store.
The Market's Cafes in the newer stores are quite pleasant, and seem to be well-used compared to other supermarkets' cafes.
As we round the corner, we enter the supermarket for real with the prepared foods departments.
Market Baskets aren't particularly beautiful stores, but that's not what they do. Their specialty is selection and price. There's a lot to choose from that's very cheap.
Plus, people swear by the prepared foods and cakes.
Produce and frozen are on the right side.
As usual, there's little or no real decor here, but you can also see, nearly 10 years after the store was built (remember that these pictures are a couple years old), it's still in immaculate condition. Check out how clean that floor is, especially for what appears to be an extremely high-volume store.
Frozen foods in aisles 17 and 18, with produce in aisle 19.
And on the back wall, we have the meat department, including a very attractive service butcher counter in the middle.
Even though this store is quite a bit newer than this one, are they really that different, other than some assorted more deluxe touches in this store? That shows the continuity of Market Basket's design and operations for many years now.
HABA is roughly in the middle of the store, although as I've mentioned no Market Baskets have pharmacies.
And in the back-left corner, we have deli and seafood.
Cold cuts are in the second aisle, which we see here.
And as usual, dairy is in the double-wide first aisle.
The front-end, including the classic retro-inspired clock, is also very typical of Market Basket.
Opened: 2014
Owner: DeMoulas family
Previous Tenants: none
Cooperative: none
Location: 301 Constitution Ave, Littleton, MA
Photographed: October 9, 2021
Market Basket appears to be the highest-volume grocery store here in Littleton, but there are a few others. Come back tomorrow to see a small store in the center of town!
$2.99 Cheeseburger and fries can't be beat.
ReplyDeleteAnd a lot of the food in the prepared foods department isn't half bad, especially for the price.
DeleteWorked out well putting that comment about cheap items just above the pictures of the bakery, including the one that shows the price for a donut.
ReplyDeleteSeeing as how that price is almost exactly HALF what another chain (not in that area, but their corporate sibling is that one with not so many stores ;)) charges for one.
Thus, why many probably only get them at that other chain when they offer a digital deal for one free, like this week :).
That is true!
Delete